IPL 2019 witnessed a season where all teams looked evenly matched so much so that struggle to make it in the playoffs was sealed in the last match of the league stage. The excitement did not wear off till the finale which kept the fans on the edge of their seats till the last ball, with Mumbai thrashing Chennai and winning the match by one run, thereby winning its fourth title.
Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to bat first. He, in partnership with Quinton de Kock, got the Blue jersey side off to a good start, adding 45 runs in 4.5 overs. Their alliance was disrupted by CSK’s, Shardul Thakur who sent De Kock back to the pavilion. The CSK bowlers picked crucial wickets at regular intervals restricting the opposition to 149 runs.
Ace cricketer, Shane Watson opened the batting line for CSK’s and pretty much stood like a rock on the pitch, putting the pressure on Mumbai’s bowlers, making 50 runs off 44 balls. Watson and Dwayne Bravo managed to smash the Mumbai Indians’ bowlers before Bumrah dismissed Bravo at 15 runs. The “Watson- Bravo” partnership added 51 runs in CSK’s kitty.
The bowling side for Mumbai was led by the fiery duo- Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga. After the power play, the Mumbai Indians spinners dominated the game pace efficiently with Rahul Chahar dismissing Raina and Jasprit Bumrah taking on Ambati Rayudu. In a smart move by Ishan Kishan, CSK skipper, MS Dhoni was run out, putting Mumbai back in the game. Bumrah bowled a restrictive 19th over, giving away just nine runs to CSK side. Malinga turned hero by trapping Shardul Thakur leg-before, giving his team an electrifying finish.
The see-saw finale, though comparatively low on the score, had all the right ingredients for a thriller movie. Both the teams gave their best to snatch away the title but it was Neeta Ambani’s, Mumbai Indians that got the last word, winning the match by 1 run.
Dhoni aka Thala has led the CSK to eight IPL finals. Speaking about his experience on the same, he said, “As a team, we had a good season. But we need to go back and reflect. Wasn’t one of those years where we played very good cricket. Middle order never clicked, but somehow we managed. Our bowlers did really well. It was not a 150 wicket, but the bowlers kept us in the hunt. They kept getting wickets when it was really needed. Batting, someone kept chipping in and we kept winning. To be consistent next year, we will have to really think hard.”
Match Scores:
MI- 149 for 8 in 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 41*, Quinton de Kock 29, Deepak Chahar 3/26, Shardul Thakur 2/37).
CSK- 148 for 7 in 20 overs (Shane Watson 80, Faf du Plessis 26, Jasprit Bumrah 2/14, Rahul Chahar 1/14).
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